Never A Moment Alone
by pussycatwithattitude
Summary: Several moments interrupted between the newly engaged couple as the children devise a cunning plan not to let Maria go again.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **A short, kind of fluffy, story set after Maria and Georg get engaged. I hope you enjoy! Hopefully updates will come quicker for both this story and my other on-going one this week! I'm also planning on continuing with _While My Guitar Gently Weeps _soon, if there is still interest?

_**Never A Moment Alone**_

_The evening was cool and clear, a gentle breeze was brushing across the vast lake which provided a tranquil environment, and one which eased the riot in her heart. Maria sighed heavily and lifted her head up to the sky, an act she had taken to ever since she had been a child. The sky was not yet pitch black, but it was a delicious midnight blue – the very colour which she had trouble getting out of her mind on numerous occasions. There were also an array of stars across the vast space, all shining and twinkling, boasting of their glory. Maria had always loved the stars, she had loved when the skies had been full of them._

_Maria loved drawing patterns with the stars. The stars were often the storytellers; the comfort brought to aching souls that have lost all they had once loved. The brightest star in the sky which Maria could see was her mother. The associations she built in the stars was her way of making connections, a relation between thoughts, feelings and remembering. It was her way of remembering her mother as best she could, since the rest of the world seemed to be slowly forgetting. _

_Maria longed to have her mother here with her now. Her heart ached, but raced too whenever in his presence. She was confused, and needed the guidance only her mother could potentially have brought. _

_She sat down on the bench outside the gazebo, her hands folded and her eyes looking up at the stars._

"_Please," she pleaded in almost a whisper. "I need you now. I don't know what to do."_

_When he had sung for the children, his fingers strumming on her guitar, she had been captivated. She had stood against the wall, feeling as though she were the only person in the room with the Captain. His voice had been deep, rich and surprisingly touching. Maria would never have suspected him to have sang that way, and she never would have suspected the effect it would have on her body. She had felt her knees weaken slightly, especially when he had looked across at her, and her heart never failed to flutter throughout. _

_A voice pulled her from her reverie._

"_Hello," came a male voice, and Maria knew unmistakeably that it was him._

_Her head shot back down, her eyes finding a connection with his. "Good evening, Captain," she said softly, keeping secret her raging mind and heart._

"_It's a lovely evening, don't you think?" _

_He seemed nervous. His hand went to the back of his head, and then down to his neck, moving it as though he was restless. His eyes would often dart from left to right, and then would fall on her. _

"_Mhm," Maria agreed as she ceased in holding her hands together, instead letting them drop to her side on the stone bench._

"_I remember when I was in the navy," the Captain continued, and took a seat next to Maria on the bench once she had gestured that the movement was all right. He sat on the opposite side to Maria. "The sight of the night sky was one of the few that could calm me."_

"_It's very calming," Maria agreed, going against her racing heart. She was aware of how close the Captain was sitting to her. She could feel his warmth, and when he shot her a small smile she was set ablaze. She took a deep breath, hoping to keep her stature convincing. "It would help me when I was a child."_

_The Captain looked at her inquisitively, but decided not to press the matter further as he saw a degree of darkness cross her eyes. It was one of the few times he had seen her with anything less than bright, glowing eyes. The depth of her blue eyes would shine more often than not. But that would work against her sometimes, they would deceive her when she had something to hide. It was impossible for her to keep anything from him._

_The silence which proceeded after her comment left Maria feeling uncomfortable. Although her blue dress was thin and allowed the night air to cool her, she still felt stuffy, like she was steadily getting warmer and warmer. She felt it was through embarrassment, or through the intensity of his gaze that she could feel, and see through the corner of her eye._

"_You sang beautifully tonight, Captain," complimented Maria, who had now taken to folding her hands once more, intertwining her fingers together. It had always been an act that would ease her nerves, ever since she had been a child._

_He accepted her compliment with a small chuckle. "As did you, Fraulein," he commented back. "I knew you had a wonderful voice, but yodelling? Even that surpassed my expectations."_

_Maria laughed a little, beginning to feel at ease with him once again. "We practiced for days on end, the children definitely enjoyed it though." _

_Georg murmured in agreement, subconsciously scooting closer to her on the bench. Maria did not notice until, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the fabric of his suit jacket. Her breath caught in her throat._

"_I want to thank you, Fraulein. For everything. I owe you so much."_

_His gratitude was sincere, and Maria, although she told herself not to because of their close proximity, turned and faced him. Their faces were inches apart, and Maria could feel his breath almost tickling her skin. She shivered involuntarily, her breathing becoming uneven._

"_You owe me nothing, Captain," she murmured, scolding herself for showing her growing weakness. Her tone was faltering, and both knew it. _

_It was in that moment that the Captain suddenly realised how close he was to Maria. He lowered his head, turning away from her. When he heard her breath out in relief, he turned his head to face her and gave a small smile. When she smiled back, he was relieved. They remained talking together, about the children and anything else that crossed their mind, until it became late and cold, and then they headed inside._

Georg knew where she would be. As soon as he had seen her head in this direction, he knew she would have come to the gazebo to clear her mind. He left the back doors of the villa and headed down the path towards the lake, the path he had witnessed her walk no more than a few minutes ago. His heart leapt in anticipation, especially after what had just happened between Elsa and himself.

Reaching the gates that led to the lake, he rested against them for a few moments. Georg looked out at the lake, his eyes locking on the ripples the water formed from any disturbance, even the slight wind that had appeared. The water proceeded in calming him enough to turn to his right, and he could faintly see her silhouette sitting on the bench.

He smiled, but also noticed her head bent, as if in deep thought.

But Georg did not let that deter him. With newfound confidence he walked swiftly towards her. When he approached her, he slowed his pace and savoured the moment. She was wearing his favourite dress, incidentally the one she had worn the night he had sang to the children, the night Maria had been on his mind almost constantly. He noticed the delightful curve of her neck as her head was bent, and felt gracious that her hair was so short, that he could see the outline and all of its perfections.

"I thought I just might find you here."

Her head shot up directly, and when their eyes met his heart leapt.

Now was the time to act, and there was no turning back now.

* * *

Georg had his arm wrapped around Maria as he led her back towards the villa. The smiles across their faces could only be the result of their professing of love. Maria let her head hang low on her new fiancé's shoulder, revelling in the warmth his body brought to her own. They entered the villa at a moderate pace, and Georg was about to pull them both in the direction of his study when Maria stopped him.

"I need to go to my room for a moment," she murmured, unwillingly pulling out of his grasp.

Georg gave her a mocking look of disapproval, before finally letting her go, but not before pressing his lips briefly to hers. They may have kissed twice before, but Maria blushed bright red at his intimate, and affectionate, touch. Her teeth came out to bite her lower lip nervously, and Georg found the sight truly endearing.

"Go, before I change my mind," he announced dramatically, with an equally dramatic wave of his hand.

Her smile widened even further, and she turned and hurried up the stairs to her bedroom. Once the door had closed, Maria fell back onto it and squealed in delight. Tears of joy slipped down her cheek, and she brought her hands to her chest as her eyes closed as she attempted to collect all of the happiness she currently felt.

After saying a quick prayer and freshening up, Maria left her room. She was about to go down the stairs and join Georg in his study, before she stopped and climbed the other staircase towards the children's rooms. Something told her that they may still be awake, and even if they were not she wanted to see them. She was to be a real part of their family.

As she approached the youngest children's room, she was about to open the door when the sound of voices stopped her.

"I don't want her to be our new mother, especially now that Fraulein Maria is back."

Maria recognised the voice to be that of Louisa.

"I just don't want a new mother."

That was Kurt.

"Neither do I."

Gretl agreed.

"Father doesn't understand, he didn't even ask us first."

Brigitta spoke now, and Maria could tell she had been fighting tears.

"We have to be happy for him."

Liesl was attempting to reassure her siblings.

"Yes."

Fredrich agreed.

"Why can't Fraulein Maria just be our governess forever?"

Marta asked softly.

"Because she wants to be a nun, Marta. Father told us we had to respect her wishes."

Brigitta reasoned, and Liesl murmured, agreeing.

Maria felt a tear fall down her cheek, and she hastily wiped it away, backing away from the door and proceeding to go back downstairs. She failed to hear the rest of the children's conversation, and had she listened, she would have felt better than she currently did.

She arrived at the study door. It was open, so she walked in.

"Capt–"

Her new fiancé gave her a stern glance as she addressed him in the wrong manner.

"_Georg_," she began, a small smile playing across her lips, but nowhere near as large as before. Something was clearly troubling her. She took a deep breath. "What if the children don't want a new mother?"

"Maria, what are you talking about?"

He approached her, his right hand moving to her left arm, rubbing it up and down soothingly.

"They see me as their governess, not as their mother."

"They _love_ you, Maria."

"And I love them, but it doesn't mean they would necessarily want this."

Georg's eyes burned into hers.

"What's going on, Maria?"

Maria took a deep breath, steadying herself. "I only just came back. I will never forgive myself for leaving them, for leaving you. Maybe if we wait a couple of days before telling them, I'll regain their trust. I just–"

"Ssh," he soothed, pulling her into his embrace before she could break down before him. "We'll do it how you feel comfortable with, darling." He then pulled back from her, looking into her eyes. "So, any plans for tomorrow?"

"How does a trip to the mountain sound?" Maria asked playfully, glad that her fiancé's reassurance had brought back some of her confidence.

"As long as I can keep my hands off you," he winked.

Maria swatted him playfully. "Maybe we can steal a few moments for ourselves."

Georg smiled, revelling in the new confidence and enthusiasm in his soon-to-be wife.

* * *

"So, that's decided?" Louisa asked her siblings, ensuring they all knew what to do.

They all nodded, smirking at their carefully devised plan.

Operation _don't–let–Fraulein–Maria–out–of–their–sight_ was to begin tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Thank you!

_**Never A Moment Alone**_

Maria awoke the next morning to a small weight landing on her body, and instantly she knew it was the youngest von Trapp child. Opening her eyes only confirmed her suspicions, and once her eye sight cleared and she could see Gretl clearly, she gathered the small child in her arms and kissed her head affectionately. Maria could hear the faint sound of giggling by her doorway, and without looking up she assumed Marta would be stood there, watching on at her sister and governess.

"Come here," she called, ensuring that Marta knew she was addressing her.

The seven–year–old was ecstatic to be called over, and ran straight onto the bed and crawled closer to her governess. Maria skilfully kept hold of Gretl with one arm, and then proceeded in wrapping the other around Marta. She had always held a soft spot for Marta – of course she did to all of the children – but the ex–postulant could never forget her first day at the villa, and how Marta had been the first to actually approach her. She had let her guard down first, something which Maria soon learned must have been out of sorts for her to do with the child being as shy as she was, whereas the other children had kept in their traditional, sailor line.

Marta held onto her governess, smiling into her side.

Gretl soon rolled off the top of her governess and took to snuggling into her side, as her sister was doing, which made it easier for Maria to wrap her arms around both of them comfortably.

"Oh, I missed this at the abbey," exclaimed Maria in a dramatic, but sincere, voice. Her tone caused the two youngest children to giggle, and the sound to Maria was incredibly endearing.

"You mean the sisters didn't come and wake you up in the morning?"

A new voice appeared from the doorway, and this time when looking up she saw the youngest man of the family. Kurt stood there, still clad in his night clothes, with the hugest of smirks on his face. His lop sided hair that showed that he had probably just woken up, and the glint in his eyes that reminded Maria so much of his father caused his governess to smirk back.

"How did you ever wake up in the morning? You're too lazy to get up on time!"

There was a playful tone in Kurt's voice, one which Maria had soon discovered upon arriving at the villa. Kurt had definitely been the one to pick up his father's sarcasm, and her mind recalled to the night of the party when he had made some comment about the family being dancers, to which his siblings and herself had laughed at.

"Oooooh, you–"

Maria trailed off, letting go of the girls who had proceeded in sitting up against the pillows. The girls watched in amusement and delight as Maria chased their brother around the room. She was going slowly on purpose, as if to prolong their amusement and laughter. But when she eventually caught Kurt from behind around the waist, she proceeded in tickling his sides, a place where she had discovered he was most vulnerable.

After a few moments of nothing but pure laughter, both from Maria and Kurt, and Marta and Gretl on the bed, a silence eventually fell upon the room. Kurt eventually spoke, seemingly revealing the reason as to his arrival at his governess' door. "Father wanted to speak to you before breakfast, he asked me if you could meet him in his study."

Before she could respond audibly, for a smile had already spread across her lips, Marta voiced worriedly from the bed. "Fraulein Maria! You're not in trouble with father, are you?"

Maria heard the little girl and turned immediately. Her heart went out to Marta as she witnessed the worry in her eyes, which was also apparent in Gretl's. It seemed that her suspicions from the previous night may have been correct, and she was pleased that the Captain had agreed not to tell the children of their engagement until she had spent a few more days with them again. She wanted to reassure each of the children that she would not be leaving them again, and she knew that despite their normal attitudes and behaviour towards her, that fear would be at the back of their minds and would probably never leave them.

"Oh no, darling. He probably just wants to talk about all of you," she smiled enthusiastically, pinching the little girl's nose affectionately. It caused a small array of giggles to emit from their mouths. "Now, all of you go and get dressed, and then you can go down for breakfast."

The children left, albeit hesitantly, to which Maria could not help but be surprised. Maria went to take a quick wash in her adjoining bathroom before changing into one of her dresses. She deliberated on which to choose, aware that she felt she was now dressing for Georg. She blushed as she thought of her fiancé, and the affectionate kisses they had shared the previous night in his study. Maria allowed her mind to wander back to last night.

_Georg had sat himself down on one of the furnished chairs in his study, and with his hand he gestured for her to join him. Maria smiled and took his hand, allowing him to pull her down to join him. He proceeded in wrapping his left arm around her, letting her drop her head comfortably on his shoulder. Georg heard her breath out, in relief or relaxation and he smiled to himself. _

_They sat there beside each other for at an hour at least, talking about nothing that was particularly important or relevant and sometimes just sitting in silence, revelling in the company the other brought to them. Georg often grazed his fingers down her arm gently, marvelling at the trail of goosebumps his touch would often leave in its wake. It sent a surge of masculine pride through his veins as he realised the effect he must have on her, and he also knew that she had the power to do the same to him. _

_That was proven when Maria sat up at one stage and traced his jaw line with her index finger. Georg jumped and inwardly took a sharp breath. Then Maria took it in her hands to initiate another kiss, the first time she had done so. His heart leapt as he acknowledged her new confidence in front of him. The kisses between them were hungry and intense, but Georg was adamant to keep them from the passionate embraces he was positive they would later share. This was their first night together, they had only just professed their love to each other, and the last thing Georg wanted to do was scare her away with his love._

_So their kisses were kept tender and light, but inquisitive all the same. _

_When Georg could feel Maria beginning to fall asleep on his shoulder, he lightly shook her shoulder in a bid to keep her awake. He knew from experience that sleeping here was not comfortable, and that she would find much more comfort in her own bed._

"_Maria," he whispered, kissing her nose._

_Maria opened her eyes slowly. Not having been asleep, but being close to, she still had to adjust her eyes, but when she did she smiled at her new fiancé and sat up._

"_Maybe it's time we turned in for the night," Georg suggested, smiling at her lovingly._

_Maria groaned, and the sounds surprised Georg. He looked at her questioningly. She noticed his expression, and then proceeded to explain. "But if I go to sleep, I will only end up waking tomorrow and thinking this was all a delightful dream."_

"_Ah," the Captain uttered. He soon came up with a solution. "Well, as soon as you wake, come down here, and I will prove that this was not all a dream," he smiled at her wickedly._

Maria dressed in the blue dress she had worn the night of the party, and she smiled to herself as she smoothed the fabric across her stomach. With a quick comb of her short hair, Maria opened her bedroom door, ready to leave the room. But she was stopped suddenly.

"Louisa?"

"Fraulein Maria!" The girl greeted her back with a convincing smile on her face.

"What are you doing?" Maria asked, raising an eyebrow at the blonde–haired von Trapp.

"I was on my way down to get a book before breakfast, and I just happened to be passing your room," Louisa reasoned, although Maria could not help but doubt her intentions. But finding no reason why Louisa would be lying, she simply nodded and smiled at the girl.

"Right," responded Maria, closing the bedroom door behind her. Both females began walking down the stairs.

"I think I'm going to get father's copy of _Swiss Family Robinson_," Louisa spoke again, seemingly skipping down the stairs with a new air of freedom and confidence. Maria could not help but feel the girl's actions were unusual, but said nothing.

"That's a good choice."

Little did Maria know, but Kurt had told Louisa of his father's intentions to speak with Fraulein Maria in his study before breakfast. Thinking the worst like Marta had initially done, a plan had been concocted for Louisa to be with their father and governess in the study for as long as possible until they had no choice but to go to breakfast. That is where the book excuse had come to good use, their father had said that they could take whatever they wanted from there, as long as they looked after it and put it back afterwards.

The two eventually reached the study, and Maria reached out her hand and knocked firmly.

"Come in, Maria," called Georg cheerily, unaware that his daughter was with her.

Louisa looked confused at her father's use of just _Maria _but went inside with her governess nonetheless.

"Captain," Maria spoke, hoping to keep their formalities in order in front of the children.

"What did I tell you about–"

At this moment he turned, and when seeing Louisa stopped abruptly.

"Louisa, what can I do for you?" he asked kindly.

Louisa noticed the tension and awkwardness in the room, but decided to say nothing. After all, what could she say? She breathed in and then proceeded to ask her father about the book.

"I just wanted to borrow your copy of…" Louisa momentarily forgot her choice of book, and inwardly scolded herself for the memory lapse.

"_Swiss Family Robinson_," answered Maria for her, confused and suspicious of the girl once again. Her eyes met those of her fiancé and both shared their confusion.

"Oh yes," answered Louisa, raising a hand to her head. "We wanted to try and act out the story in the garden, and on the lake. Fredrich has found some material we can use for a tent, and some rope too. We thought that would make a good tree–house…"

"That sounds like a good project, Louisa," commented Maria.

"I thought you were going to the mountain today?" Georg voiced.

"Well, if the children want to stay here, then–"

"How about we go to the mountain today? Then I can come with you," spoke Georg, hoping to please both Maria and his children. "I have some work to do tomorrow, but if you're here that means I could still help you with your lodgings?" He then turned to Louisa, and shot her a smile.

Louisa could not help but smile back, as always happy to have her father back. Having been unbelievably close to her father before her mother died, she had perhaps been one of the worst to be hit by his distance. "I'll let everyone know!" The girl exclaimed, before she made to leave the study.

"Err, Louisa…" Maria spoke, halting the girl in her actions. "Didn't you want the book?"

"Oh, yes…"

Louisa then walked towards the vast bookcase, and scoured for the letter _W_. Her father had always been organised, and it helped all of the children that the books were spread in alphabetical order. When she found the book, however, it was situated on one of the higher shelves, and collecting it would involve climbing the ladder that her father often had caution about. Of course, the thirteen–year–old could have easily climbed the ladder without trouble, but with her father there she decided against it.

She looked across at him, saw the knowing smile on his face, and pointed towards the book. Georg then took out the ladder and started to climb.

Maria, still stood against the far wall like she had done since entering the room, watched him with awe. It was the first time she had appreciated his body, and only the thought brought an unmistakable blush to her cheeks. She noticed that he was wearing just a shirt, and through that she could see the outline of his strong, muscular body, no doubt a result of years of military training. Her breath caught in her throat, and the sound caused Louisa to turn around and look at her confusedly. This then caused Maria to stop her looking, and smile meekly at the child.

Louisa continued to look at her governess suspiciously, but turned around quickly when her father climbed down the steps with her book in his hand. "Here you go," he smiled, handing the worn, paperback book to Louisa. She thanked him. "Now, go and get your brothers and sisters ready for breakfast, I really do need to speak to your governess."

"But father," Louisa spoke up innocently. "It's half past seven already, breakfast is about to start."

Georg sighed, defeated. "It seems I will have to speak to you later then, Fraulein."

He shot her a subtle smirk, and as Louisa led them both out of the room, he approached her slowly, wrapping an arm around her waist momentarily.

But as Louisa turned to speak with her governess, he had to withdraw his arm, quietly seething and gritting his teeth.

Maria noticed his torment, and laughed a little to herself. She whispered to him when she managed to grab a moment, her comment causing him to laugh, "We'll have to get better at all this sneaking about."

* * *

Breakfast was a quiet affair to begin with. Once Georg had announced that the Baroness had left the previous night and would not be returning, the children found it difficult not to show their true happiness. He also announced that Max had left to take her back home, and although he would presumably be back the following day, he now had the opportunity to accompany his children on their trip to the mountain.

Georg had not yet joined them on one of their trips, much to his dismay. There had been numerous times when he had contemplated it, but many of those opportunities had been dashed when Elsa had wished to go into town and shop, or plan for the extravagant party he had hosted a few weeks ago. There was one time when he had cleared everything from his schedule and had promised to go with the children, but unfortunately nature had been against them and it had been one of those days inside whilst listening to the rain drumming on the window panes.

He had still enjoyed his time with the children, and their governess, but he had heard countless tales from the children about everything they got up to on their outings to the mountain, and he could not wait to be involved.

"Father, you can help me pick flowers!" Gretl announced excitedly, bouncing up and down on her seat despite Maria beside her, trying to calm the girl down.

"Silly, father won't want to pick flowers, he'll play a ball game with us!" Kurt shot back.

"Kurt," warned both Georg and Maria at the same time. They surprised each other, not only the children, at their perfect timing. Their eyes then met in a brief spell, and a knowing smile was shared between them that Liesl could not help but notice.

"Well then, it seems it's all arranged," announced the Captain, placing down his spoon as he finished his breakfast. "I'm sure you children can arrange with the cook or Frau Schmidt which foods you want to take, and Fraulein Maria and I will discuss some, er, matters."

The _matters _as such caused Maria's heart to flutter, and her eyes rose from the fruit that covered her plate to connect with his. Her eyes were entranced as his lips moved, she followed their every movement.

"Oh father, but Fraulein Maria must pick the food! She always picks the food!" Gretl announced in a loud voice, to which she received smiles from her siblings and an aggravated expression from her father.

Georg sighed. "Could you not pick the food, just for today?"

"Oh no, Father!"

Georg knew when he was defeated. He grimaced, but smiled at his children.

"Fine, then it is decided. I will just have to steal your Fraulein during our outing and speak with her then."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Thank you for all the response, and everyone who has put this story on their alert. I hope you're all enjoying this.

_**Never A Moment Alone**_

As the von Trapp family and Fraulein Maria, who was soon to become a member of their family, headed towards the mountain for the day, it seemed they had all formed a line as they walked. Fredrich and Kurt were at the front of the group, the former carrying the large picnic basket with all of their food and the latter with the coveted ball. Liesl was stood behind the boys with a smaller picnic basket full of even more food for the nine of them, and Louisa and Brigitta were stood beside her. This left the two youngest just behind them, and the two impatient and aggravated adults behind them.

"I'm going to find father some edelweiss when we get to the mountain!" exclaimed Marta as she skipped along, and as Georg listened to his seven–year–old daughter he smiled in appreciation. He did have extremely thoughtful children.

"Oh yes! They're his favourite! Can I help you?"

This time it was Gretl who spoke, even more excited about their trip now. Marta accepted her offer straight away, and both had an extra spring in their step as they closed in on their older sisters.

Behind them, Maria and Georg laughed a little. The pair both watched as the two youngest children skipped ecstatically forward, and Georg took this as an opportunity to finally wrap an arm around his fiancé. Maria smiled shyly, but slowly edged into his side.

"Finally a moment to ourselves," Georg promptly whispered.

"That could change any second now," Maria warned back, keeping a close eye on the children.

"We could just tell them…"

"Georg, please," Maria pleaded. "Trust me."

Georg smiled down at his fiancé, his non–verbal response giving a clear answer to her without even speaking. Quickly, so Maria could not refuse, he bowed his head and captured her lips in a momentary, but searing, kiss. She fought it at first, still aware of their surroundings, but after a moment she kissed him back, before he pulled away with a wicked smirk on his face.

"Oooooh, you–"

They both laughed. But their laughter was heard by the two youngest children, who turned around towards their father and Fraulein Maria. The adults separated at once, but not too far away. The two girls frowned at the guilty looks across their faces, almost as if they had been caught doing something wrong… It looked as though their father and Fraulein Maria were about to burst out laughing, their cheeks were puffed out and they made sure eye contact was not made.

The two girls decided to hang back a moment for the two beloved adults to join them, and once they had caught up, Marta and Gretl each took a hand. Marta took her father's right hand in her left, while Gretl was beside her taking Maria's left hand. The two adults exchanged looks across the two youngest girls, not out of desperation but from amusement.

Georg, fully aware that he wanted to teach his fiancé more on the subject of kissing and tender touches, was beginning to itch at the distance between them. He suspected nothing of his children, though, for they had acted quite similar on outings before. Even times at the villa when the large group would be outside playing various concocted games, the children, especially the younger two, would be eager to stand with their Fraulein Maria.

Maria, however, had begun to feel similar aggravation to that of her new fiancé. Their loving kisses the previous night had left her eager to learn more. She wanted to explore the boundaries with Georg, but of course she would keep it all under control until they were married. Had it not been for the peculiar, but exciting, sensation that built in her body whenever Georg would touch or kiss her, Maria would have felt embarrassed. Having once wanted to devote her life to the church and God; to become a nun, this huge change had been quite a leap, but one that she had soon welcomed.

Although she had not admitted it to herself verbally until she had left the von Trapp villa the night of the party, she knew she had experienced and felt feelings for the Captain that must have surpassed the usual employer, employee relationship. Even the day she had arrived at the household, even when he had been the stern, naval Captain that had treated his children quite similar to his crew, she had seen something that had enthralled her mind, causing such a riot that failed to cease. The most poignant memory she recalled was seeing him wear two gold wedding bands, a reminder that he was not just a stern, naval Captain but a grieving man who had lost his wife. After his reconciliation with the children, their friendship had undoubtedly grown. At least, it felt like a friendship. _Was it even normal? _Maria had often wondered as she had climbed the stairs after their evening conversations. Was this how employer and employee would usually act? When the Baroness and Max retired early for the evening, Georg and herself would just sit and talk… Often about the children, but sometimes it strayed onto either one of them. The Captain often queried about her life at the Abbey, and she would ask him to recall certain moments from his navy days.

There was one particular moment where the Captain had tempted her to try a drop of the alcohol he kept in a cabinet. Their conversation had somehow drawn onto the consumption of alcohol, and how, in the Abbey, they had very little except for holy communion.

Maria smiled at the memory as she felt Gretl skipping ahead.

"_We have wine for holy communion, but apart from that no, I have not tried–"_

"_O–ho!" Bellowed the Captain, laughing and throwing his head back on the seat._

_They had both settled in the living room earlier that evening, since the Baroness often wished to spend her evenings in here before retiring for the night. The room held special memories for Maria: the children had once led her in here when the Captain was visiting the Baroness in Vienna, and the eager smiles on their faces as they entered the room with their new governess had been a picture to remember, they were keen to show her the house in all of its capacity. There was also a time where, during a rainy day, the children and herself had decided to reside in the room and work on their song for the puppet show. They had spread across the floor, Maria sat in the middle with her guitar. The Captain had then appeared at the door, inquiring as to how they were getting along with the performance preparation, to which the children had all stood and exclaimed that he could not see anything before the show. For some reason they had covered their governess, and when they had dispersed she could not help but share a moment with her employer, their eyes meeting and their smiles seemingly in sync. And then there was the night the Captain had sung Edelweiss to his children. _

_Maria's eyes immediately darted across to the wall, the place she had been stood. It was inevitable, each time the song or night was mentioned, she would remember how she had felt. It had been a strange feeling, but he had captivated her with his low, but beautiful, singing voice. _

_Then her eyes fell upon the Captain again, and she could not help but watch as his head was leant back, exposing his neck. She followed the line with her eyes, entranced with its shape, before she chastised herself, reminding herself that it was not her place to look. She reminded herself that what she had begun feeling for the man was not proper, and Maria would have left to retire for the evening had it not been for the Captain's response to her previous comment._

"_Whatever happened to, now let me get this right: Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise." The Captain looked at her directly, quite pleased at himself for remembering the phrase. He shot her one of his trademark smirks. He knew the reasons for the drinking of wine during communion, but he almost felt eager to see what she would say; how she would react._

"_The book of Proverbs," she had explained, with an equally contentious smirk on her face. "But might I add, that Jesus' first miracle was to turn water into wine, and later during the Last Supper he shared wine with his disciples. It is a metaphor for Christ's blood, of which he willingly gave to save the lives of all men." After Maria's short explanation, she smiled again at the Captain, quite pleased with herself. "Therefore, I believe that wine drank during holy communion is sacred, and holy, and God will not think less of you for doing so."_

_Georg, set on perhaps impressing her further with his knowledge of the Bible, spoke again. He did also want to persuade her. "That is true. In Psalms, does it not also say that wine gladdens the heart of man?"_

"_It does," Maria smiled at him. She also watched as he began to walk across to a drinks cabinet. She watched as he knelt down and brought out a bottle, the liquid inside one that she did not recognise. "Picked up on your travels?" Maria asked wittily, knowing from a previous conversation that he had visited a fair few places across the world._

"_No, just the shop in town." _

_Maria laughed heartily, throwing her own back against the chair she sat on opposite the Captain. But as her head fell back into its original position, she saw that he was holding out a glass of clear liquid to her._

"_Captain, I don't think I should–"_

"_Don't worry, Fraulein, the Sisters won't find out."_

_There was a mischievous glint in his eyes._

"_Oh, that's not my concern. Another postulant and I once snuck into the cupboard where we keep the wine, and tried a little too much of it…"_

_She trailed off as the Captain laughed. "Quite the mischievous nun, Fraulein."_

"_If I ever get there," she laughed back, although a sombre look had taken over her features. It was true, she did grow worried and often wondered if she would ever take her vows and become a nun. _

_Georg looked at her pensively, but still offered her the glass._

_Eventually Maria broke away from her thoughts and hesitantly took the glass as the Captain left to sit back down, and she swirled it around in the glass, watching it curiously. "Is it strong?"_

"_Find out," he answered, taking a large sip of his drink. His face did not screw up, he fought against it, and he was used to stronger drinks._

_Maria eyed him suspiciously, but eventually took a sip of the drink. But as she drank too much of the liquid, deciding not to be apprehensive, she spluttered and almost choked as the strong and burning sensation hit the back of her throat._

_As Georg noticed her spluttering and difficulty breathing, he walked across and began to rub her back gently, hoping that she would regain the usual ease._

_The touch sent sudden jolts through both of their bodies, and they jumped. But once the initial shock had subsided, Georg placed his hand back on her back, rubbing it as she regained her breath. He liked the feel of her beneath his hand, even if it was only a friendly gesture…_

Gretl was now pulling Maria even further along the road, anxiously wanting to get to the mountain as soon as possible. Rather dismayed at being pulled from her thoughts at such a time, Maria found solace soon as she turned her head left. Her fiancé was watching her with a keen interest, and a warm smile as he noticed her looking his way.

"Almost there," Marta gasped loudly.

This led the two adults to surge forward, the chance of a moment alone when they reached there heavy on their minds, and was the fuel for their new burst of energy.

* * *

It was a little past two o'clock in the afternoon, they had been on the mountain for at least four hours, and Georg was yet to have a moment alone with Maria. He would never show his children, but he was beginning to grow frustrated as they continued to bombard him and their governess to participate in various activities. He had played a ball game with the older children for what had seemed like forever, although he was glad that Maria had joined their game. He once threw the ball a little too hard at her, making it difficult to catch. It was a pace that could have been considered quite flirtatious, and Maria knew that when she caught it and threw a smirk back at him.

He had also spent time with his two youngest daughters, picking flowers and helping them in their projects. It seemed they liked to make wreaths from the flowers, something that Maria had taught them many visits ago.

While they had eaten, Georg had attempted to move closer to Maria, but it seemed that both he and her had been swarmed by the children. They were all excited to have the two grown–ups they loved so much here with them that they did not want to waste any time with them.

Eventually, Georg announced that he was going to go for a walk. Gretl and Marta, who were laid content on the picnic blanket did not even move to follow him, and the older children were over on the grassy hilltop playing a game of some sorts.

Maria, who had been sat beside Marta, stroking the dark locks of her hair, smiled at him and stood to join him.

They hurried to a secluded area of trees not far from the area where the children sat, and before Maria could say anything, Georg had pulled her around a tree, away from the view of the children, and pressed his lips to hers.

The strength of the kiss surprised Maria at first, and she gasped into his mouth. But soon she became accustomed to his hungry kiss and reciprocated. Maria could not help but release a groan as Georg deepened the kiss, and she could barely register his arms wrapping around her waist, pulling her even closer to him.

Eventually, they pulled away, slightly out of breath, and looked at each other.

"Well, that was worth the wait," Maria spoke breathlessly. "Were these the, er, matters, you needed to see me about?"

Georg mumbled a yes, and then growled, his hands encircling her waist. "I would rather have done it sooner."

Maria laughed lightly, her hand moving to rest on his chest. "With seven children and plenty of servants, the chances of being interrupted are fairly high…"

"Too high," muttered Georg as he dipped down to press a kiss to her lips again.

As his lips moved to her cheeks, then moving to her neck, Maria spoke again. "And Max soon, darling…"

Georg groaned even more, but found the term of endearment satisfying. His lips had now finished in their short quest and were back on hers in just a brief moment. "Can we not forget about the sources to all these untimely interruptions…"

It seemed that Maria had no chance to respond, because his lips were once again covering her own in seconds. His kiss was, again, powerful and this time Maria reciprocated immediately. After a few moments of powerful, hungry kisses, Georg stroked her lips with his tongue, something that surprised Maria but did not cause her to pull away. Instead, she opened her mouth at his bidding, and her knees almost buckled as she felt him exploring her mouth.

But before either of them could search further, the sound of one of their children filled their ears.

Georg pulled away from Maria, but not before groaning at their interruption once again. They both emerged from the trees to find Brigitta running towards them, calling their names over and over again. "Father, Fraulein Maria, it's Marta."

The desperation in her voice worried the parents, or at least one parent and one who was very soon to become one to these seven, marvellous children. Maria immediately went to Brigitta and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, concerned with how out of breath she had become and attempting to calm the panic she could see in the child's eyes.

Georg was far too worried to console his daughter like Maria, and immediately asked. "What's wrong?"

Before Brigitta could respond, Georg had ran towards the rest of his children, leaving Maria and his daughter following behind. Upon approaching the group, Georg saw that Liesl was cradling his second to youngest daughter, and upon seeing her pale complexion and teary eyes, his heart leapt in worry and anticipation. Liesl answered his queries before her father even managed to utter a word, "She feels sick."

The group soon dispersed as Georg and Maria came to sit beside Marta. The young child had scrambled delicately from her oldest sister and into the arms of her beloved father, and the immediate, reassuring warmth she received resulted in a sigh leaving her lips.

Soon, it was only the three of them on the picnic blanket, the rest of the children had understood the need for Marta to have her space. It would certainly do her no good if they were all crowding around her.

Georg rocked Marta as she wept gently, and Maria reached forward to feel her forehead.

"You ate too much for lunch, darling," spoke Maria gently. It was true, the girl had been eager to enjoy the experience to its full potential with her father present. She had eaten far too much of the food provided, and probably not waited long enough before going to play with her siblings.

Georg understood with a nod, and spoke to Marta in hushed tones. "Try and go to sleep for a while, maybe you'll feel better when you wake up."

Marta nodded weakly, and settled her face into her father's chest. After a few moments she was asleep, both adults could see and hear as her breathing became steady and even.

Georg looked across and smiled at Maria, reaching across to take her hand.

"She was excited about today," Maria spoke, enjoying how her fiancé's thumb was caressing the back of her hand. She sighed in satisfaction, closing her eyes and lifting her eyes up to the sky. The sun was still beaming, and the rays reflected on the gold strands of her hair.

Georg found the sight to be truly remarkable. As she opened her eyes again, and the colour blue was revealed in its most striking of forms, his breath caught.

"Cat got your tongue, Captain?"

As he watched her smirk, he tilted his head to one side. He watched her tentatively. "Forgive me for staring at my fiancé."

Maria's eyes widened, and her hands went across to Marta's ears. "Ssh…"

The anguish she saw as he dramatically pulled a face caused her to laugh. He then spoke in almost a whisper, covering his own hands over hers. "When the children are in bed…"

"I'm all yours," she finished his sentence for him.

Although once she had digested exactly what she had said, Maria blushed. It was a ferocious blush, and she could feel her cheeks burning with… Embarrassment, shame?

She took her hands away and covered her cheeks.

"O-ho, don't you dare," Georg responded, using his own hands to pull hers away. Secretly he loved it when she blushed. He had experienced it on a few occasions, and he found the image truly endearing.

He was about to speak further, when Marta shuffled uncomfortably in his arms.

Georg hushed to her, hoping that the soothing sounds would lull her back into sleep. But Marta opened her eyes, and it was evident that she still felt uncomfortable. "Fraulein Maria," she cried, although it was almost a murmur as her face was still buried in her father's chest.

Maria immediately sprung up and travelled the short distance to wrap an arm around the child.

Upon feeling the comforting touch of her beloved Fraulein, Marta turned and wrapped her arms fully around her. "I feel sick."

Maria sighed sadly, and gently got the two of them to their feet. "Do you think you'll be sick?"

Marta pondered over the question for a moment, and was about to shake her head. But a sudden feeling came over her, one that she unfortunately recognised, and she slowly nodded her head.

"All right," Maria soothed the young girl. "Come with me."

Maria took Marta over and away from the rest of the family, not wanting to frighten them with the sounds. One look over her shoulder, and she saw Georg still sat there. He seemed slightly hurt that Maria had taken over the role he would have usually managed. But one look over her shoulder caused her new fiancé to stand up and join them both.

As Georg joined them both, Maria could not help but say as she saw the look on his face, "She wants you too."

Both adults then stood at either side of Marta as she bent over, clutching her stomach. They both rubbed her back soothingly, and both murmured words of comfort.

Once Marta had been sick, she did feel slightly better. But nowhere near enough to join her siblings in any further games they would play – they had, for the time being after seeing their sister's state, stopped in their games and gone to sit on the picnic blanket.

So, Georg and Maria announced that it was time to head back home. The journey home was quite different to when they had left that morning: all of the children had gathered in a small group with all of their picnic equipment, all except for Marta who was being cradled in her father's arms. Maria was walking beside Georg and Marta, but soon found herself ahead with Gretl by her side.

As Georg could watch her clearly, the smile on his face would not disappear. He could scarcely fathom that the woman before him, the woman who held such a strong relationship with his children, and who was slowly building a relationship with him, bounding across most of the steps in their intimacy, was soon to be his wife.

"Father," a voice murmured into his jacket. "I want Fraulein Maria to stay forever."

Georg sighed, and smiled. "Me too, Marta. Me too."

As his eyes fixed on Maria ahead of them, he decided that he could not wait until all the children were in bed.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Sorry it's taken so long, half six starts each morning have just taken their toll. Please let me know what you think to this chapter!

_**Never A Moment Alone**_

The von Trapp family and Maria returned from their outing on the mountain just before four o'clock that afternoon. Upon entering the villa, Georg turned to the left and immediately made his way upstairs to put Marta to bed. Her complexion had improved significantly since earlier that afternoon, but it remained a fact that she was weary, and that sleep would be the best antidote at this moment in time. The second youngest von Trapp put up no resistance, and allowed her Father to carry her upstairs to her bedroom.

Maria, watching as her fiancé headed up the stairs, decided against following them. She appreciated that the time alone would be beneficial for both Father and daughter, and besides, six other children were still under her care. All seven of them gathered in the hallway for a few moments, for some reason none of them saying a thing and none of them moving an inch.

It was Maria who would break the uncomfortable silence. "Liesl, why don't you and Louisa take our picnic baskets to the kitchen? That way we can all come and empty them in a little while." The children always tidied up after their outings, Maria ensured that they did. She often received groans from the children when she demanded they do so, sometimes out of tiredness after their long day, but sometimes out of laziness. The cook did not help sometimes, she often insisted that she could unpack and tidy away their picnic essentials, but Maria had firmly insisted.

Liesl and Louisa did as they had been asked, and they both headed towards the kitchen each with a picnic basket in hand.

This only left four von Trapp children in the hallway. Fredrich and Kurt were sharing conspiring glances and were subtly shifting towards the back doors of the villa, eager to get back outside in the beautiful weather, Brigitta was stood with her book in hand, just as eager as the boys but instead waiting for her Father to come down and join them, and Gretl was holding onto Maria's side.

As Maria wrapped an arm around the little girl, she gave Brigitta a warm smile and also noticed the boys as they edged closer and closer to the doors. "Don't even think about it, you two," she warned light–heartedly.

As Fredrich and Kurt turned around, neither could help but grin at the casual smirk on their governess' face.

"But Fraulein Maria, it's such a beautiful day! Can't we go back outside?" Kurt stressed in a whining voice as he leant forward, mirroring the image of a beggar.

"You'll help your sisters and I clear up your lunch," Maria responded. The solemn looks on both of their faces were enough to cause anyone to grin, it was not just a kind of sadness but a cursed look that they had been caught escaping. After a moment of silence between them, Maria spoke once more, "Go on," she motioned for them to head towards the kitchen. "And then I might think about letting you back outside."

At her comment, both of the boys hurried in the direction of the kitchen, followed by Maria, Brigitta and Gretl.

* * *

Georg found his family back outside once he had put Marta to bed. She had insisted on him telling her a story, or to sing her a song. Georg had decided on the former, reciting one of the more well–known fairytales, his daughter's favourite _Cinderella_. She had squealed in excitement at the mention of a glittering, beautiful dress much like the ones she had seen the women wearing the night of the party, and had also voiced her dislike for the two, ugly step–sisters. The little girl had fallen asleep before her Father had finished the story though, so he had placed a tender kiss upon her forehead and left her bedroom quietly.

The children, and his new fiancé were outside again now, playing some sort of game that seemed to require one person being _it _and the others chasing away from the chosen one. Georg walked across and leant forward against the terrace edge, shifting his arms to rest across the stone as he watched his family and listened to the sounds of their unprecedented laughter. It seemed that Fredrich had become the catcher now, and he seemed intent on catching Fraulein Maria.

He looked up at the sky for a moment, and noticed the dwelling clouds, hoping the weather would last for the next few weeks.

Georg marvelled as she ran out of Fredrich's range, darting this way and that, and sometimes sneakily avoiding being touched and losing the game. Even though her hair was short, it still waved around as she moved quickly, and Georg, without even realising he was doing so, found himself marvelling at each movement her body made.

Fredrich seemed to give up on catching his Fraulein Maria, and instead went in search of his other siblings. He caught them all after a few wild attempts, and eventually it seemed that all of his children were in search of Maria. He laughed, knowing that although she was a fast runner, she did not have a chance against six, eager and energetic children.

Maria then darted away from Fredrich once again, she dodged past little Gretl, and changed her direction and began running alongside the terrace past him. Forgetting for a moment that she was still playing a game, Maria stopped and smiled at him.

"How is Marta?" She asked, slightly concerned.

Georg nodded and smiled in response. "She's asleep now." He watched as her face grew more comfortable. "Er, Fraulein…" He warned as he watched his children running wildly in the direction of Maria.

Maria had no time to comprehend her next movements. Before she managed to dart away, she had been charged down by six children, the ferocity of the charge sending her to the floor in fits of laughter. All of the children seemed to laugh with her, and they all fell to the ground too: some fell beside her, mainly the older children, but Gretl and Kurt just decided to fall on top of her.

Georg laughed loudly and heartily at the comical sight before him.

"Oooooh," Maria murmured, feigning pain even though none of the children bought it anyway. Lying on her back, she clutched Gretl to chest with one arm, and took hold of Kurt with the other.

Their laughing failed to cease for another few minutes. During this time, Georg watched the moment tenderly, visualising how the children saw Maria as such a loving figure – if not a Mother. He wondered, as he often had these past few days, how she could have been in any doubt that the children would have reacted badly to their engagement. But he kept to his word, and let Maria deal with this as she wished.

* * *

Dinner was its usual loud affair, even if they were missing one von Trapp. Frau Schmidt had explained that she would save some soup for Marta if she woke up later on in the evening, and both Georg and Maria thanked her simultaneously. Their timing caused both of them to look up and laugh a little, wide smiles across their lips.

Frau Schmidt eyed the couple suspiciously, noticing that there was a new spark in Maria's eyes. There had always been a spark there, but now it seemed to have escaped from whatever clutches or restraint it was under before now. The house keeper secretly smiled to herself, wondering to herself how long it would be until wedding bells were ringing.

Just as the main course was being served – a light meal of salad and other various foods that the Captain had considered they eat after their large picnic earlier – a new presence arrived in the room. The man was familiar to everyone in the room.

"Uncle Max! You're back!"

Gretl was the first to exclaim, before Maria calmed her back down and encouraged her to continue with her meal.

"Hello, my dears," announced Max, finding a chair beside Georg on the side of the table before noticing that there was a space, and a child missing. "Who are we missing?"

"Marta, Herr Detweiller," Maria informed, taking a sip of her drink. "I'm afraid she ate a little too much earlier and was unwell. But Geor– er, the Captain put her to bed earlier."

Maria blushed fiercely at her mistake, and hoped to compensate as she took another mouthful of her food and attempted to hide her face with the drinking glass.

Max's eyes widened as his gaze moved from Maria to Georg and then back to Maria, realising that what Elsa had told him the night before and this morning before he left, was in fact true. But he had not been surprised at these new series of events, he too had noticed the looks between his friend and the young woman. A blind man could probably have seen the attraction between the two, even if they could not.

None of the children seemed to realise Maria's mistake, they were all focused on eating their meal. Even Liesl had been too busy wiping a smudge of dirt from Kurt's shirt in an irritable manner to listen to her governess, and friend's, slip in formality.

Only Georg and Max noticed. Her fiancé narrowed his eyes and smirked, whereas she could still not meet Max's gaze.

Max leant forward and whispered something into Georg's ear when he noticed that no one but Maria was looking. "Never be a nun, she was right you know."

Georg looked stunned at first, shocked that Elsa had told Max everything. But then, when he came to think about it, it was not at all surprising that Elsa had told Max about their conversation – after all, he was and always had been a dear friend to her, and he had taken her back to Vienna.

The shock was soon absorbed though, and as he looked Max in the eye a mutual understanding passed between them. Georg only had to smile, and Max knew exactly what had happened that night.

It proved an easy job to put the children to bed that night – all of them were exhausted after their outing. Even the older children admitted to being tired and would not even use the opportunity to stay up later than their younger siblings. That had been one of the first issues Maria had addressed after the Captain had reconciled with his children. It was an outrage that Liesl should retire to bed at the same time as her five–year–old sister. Thankfully, the Captain had agreed, and had placed the option forward for a later bedtime for the three oldest children. There was also room for Kurt and Brigitta to stay up later if they wished.

Georg now wanted nothing more than to spend more time with Maria, but the arrival once again of his old friend required his presence.

Maria had reasoned with him as they left Marta and Gretl's room. "Darling, I'm sure Max knows already."

It was true, he did. But Georg had been longing to kiss her again ever since their rendezvous on the mountain, and in Max's presence he doubted that would be considered proper, and he doubted he would feel comfortable with it either. And he voiced those concerns.

"Well, if you're really that desperate…" Maria trailed off, and before Georg could realise what she was doing, she had kissed him strongly. Her hand came around the back of his neck, pulling him closer to her; deepening the kiss.

Georg began to respond, but Maria drew back not long afterwards.

"Ooh, you tease," moaned Georg as she drew away.

Although Maria was surprised at his comment, she still laughed. Reaching up again, she kissed his cheek tenderly and then took his hand in her own. She urged him to follow her, and she led them both to the sitting room where Max was already waiting for them.

Noticing their hands, Max smirked. "Ah, I knew it."

After they had all settled down in the sitting room, their conversations began. Some were focused on Maria and Georg, and whether they had begun planning anything. Some were about the children, and some was just general talk, including political as mostly the men voiced their concerns on the growing condition of Austria.

But before too long, Max professed he was indeed exhausted and would retire to bed – after all, he _had _driven all the way back from Vienna. After voicing his intentions, he stood, said good–night to the two that accompanied him, and then left the sitting room.

Barely a moment had passed when Georg had begun kissing Maria's cheek.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look today?"

"Not in the past hour, darling," Maria responded wittily, smiling to herself. She turned to face her fiancé fully once his lips had left her cheek, and tenderly pressed her lips to his. Once she had managed to pull her lips away, Maria took the time to fully appreciate her sea captain's appearance. His hair was slightly ruffled, and a strand fell loosely across his forehead. Just that touch made him look so youthful, and Maria could not help but reach out and finger it delicately. Her fingers then moved to stroke his cheek, and Maria could not miss the sigh that escaped his mouth. "I love you."

Her admission was more a whisper than anything else, but Georg definitely heard, even above the rolls of thunder above them. It seemed the weather had not held like Georg had wished.

His own hand moved to encompass the one that was still touching his cheek, and bringing it to his lips he kissed it affectionately and murmured back those three words that spoke for all of the raging feelings in his heart. He never once presumed in the years after Agathe's death that he would find love again, especially not in someone so beautiful, and full of the energy of youth. He was ultimately surprised that she loved him back, after all he was almost two decades older than her, and already had seven children from a previous marriage…

It seemed she could read him like a book. "Stop it," she warned light–heartedly. "You think too much."

"Forgive me, love."

Maria released her hand from his grasp, and moved it to his cheek again. "I don't care that you're older than me, or that you already have seven, wonderful children. I fell in love with _you_, no one else."

Her words were so profound and spoken with so much conviction, that he felt he had no other option but to show her his love. His lips descended onto hers strongly, speaking with such endearment that he appreciated everything she had ever done to change his life for the better.

But their kiss was interrupted as the couple heard the sound of one child running down the stairs, calling for her governess. They parted and stood from the highly decorated chair, watching as Gretl ran straight into the room and into Maria's arms. Her heavy and erratic breathing caused Maria to assume that the child was still suffering from her fear of thunderstorms, whereas the rest of the children could often sleep through them now. This only caused Maria to tighten their embrace.

Carefully, after a few moments of rubbing the little girl's back comfortingly, Maria slowly backed herself back onto the seat, bringing Gretl with her. Sitting the girl across her lap, facing her father, she began to run her fingers through her long, un–braided hair.

"Was it the thunderstorm again?"

Gretl nodded mutely. "I know you said they're just talking to each other, but it's still so loud and nasty. Why can't they talk quieter when we're asleep?"

Neither of the adults could help but laugh at the child's humour.

Once Maria's laughter had subsided, she continued to speak. "Oh yes, Gretl, they're both very inconsiderate, aren't they?"

Gretl, confused at the tone of her governess' voice and the laughter coming from her father, turned and watched the two suspiciously. She was about to ask why they looked as though they were both about to erupt in laughter, when another roll of thunder sounded, causing the girl to bury her head in Maria's chest.

After a few moments consoling the youngest von Trapp, Maria stole a glance with her fiancé. They both smiled at each other warmly. "Right, I think we should get you back to bed, Gretl," Maria announced, moving slightly whilst keeping her gathered in her arms.

"Fraulein Maria, will you stay with me?" Gretl asked.

"I will until you fall asleep," Maria comforted her, moving with some degree of difficulty towards the door.

"No, after that too! What if they start shouting again and I wake up? Please, Fraulein Maria!"

The first thing Maria did was turn around to look at Georg.

Gretl did the same too, her eyes widened as she began to plead with her father.

It was proven that the little girl did not have to say anything to Georg, because he knew exactly what she would say and answered before she could open her mouth. "If it's all right with Fraulein Maria, then I have no objections."

It was now Maria's eyes which became desperate and pleading. It was not that she didn't want to stay with Gretl, not at all. But Maria definitely would not have minded another hour or so with her fiancé before retiring for the night.

But then another roll of thunder sounded, and Gretl's whimpers left no doubt in Maria's mind about where she would be sleeping tonight. "I'll stay with you, Gretl, don't worry."

After Georg bid the two ladies good–night, Maria carried Gretl carefully to her bedroom. Neither of them noticed three pairs of eyes staring at them out of a slightly open door. Once the door to the younger girl's bedroom had closed, and after they were sure that Fraulein Maria was not going to be leaving the bedroom for quite a while, Liesl, Louisa and Brigitta closed their door and collapsed into their beds with huge smiles across their faces.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **I'm so sorry for how long this has taken. My only excuse is that I was toying between ideas, and really wanted this chapter to be right. I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you've enjoyed this story.

_**Never A Moment Alone**_

Despite the vast amounts of rain the previous night, it was decided that the next afternoon the children could re-enact the _Swiss Family Robinson_ but as long as they stayed within hearing distance of their father and governess, who it was decided would play the part of the blood-thirsty pirates. After the night before and Maria's quite uncomfortable nights sleep while being with Gretl, Maria had voiced her desires to not play a huge part in their pretend game.

Brigitta was at the centre of the group with a huge smile plastered across her face. The combination of her love for literature and the ability to play outside with her brothers and sisters made her feel important, especially since all of her siblings seemed to rely on her to recite the parts of the book. Holding the book in her hands, she skimmed through the lines and announced that the first scene should include all of them being in the rowboat – their make-shift ship.

Georg and Maria were quick to voice their displeasure. As both of them called out to the children simultaneously, they turned to each other and smiled mischievously at their tendencies to be in sync with each other. It had happened quite a few times in these past days, and Maria's heart fluttered each time it happened. It was just like they could read each other, and that their minds were slowly becoming one.

Georg took the initiative this time, calling over to his children as they had all begun hurrying down to the gates beside the lake. "Children!" Georg began walking over to them, closely followed by Maria. "If you fall into the lake, you will have to go inside and change. And if you remember the last time you fell into the lake, not all of you came out unharmed," his gaze drifted onto Kurt. He had developed a nasty cold after their excursions in the lake. Georg also then turned to Maria, shooting her a small smile. She turned red under his gaze, knowing that he was also referring to the cold she had picked up after that certain incident.

A series of moans came from all of the children.

"Children, your father's right," Maria called in her strong, determined governess' voice. She rarely used it; the children would often do as she said without a second thought. "How about we start off from when the family get to the island?"

Her suggestion was not popular, but all of the children eventually decided that it was for the best. After all, Gretl was still not an experienced swimmer, despite her lessons with Maria, and Marta still looked a tad pale after yesterday.

Liesl soon decided to take charge, and announced that the Swiss Family Robinson were now on the island, and needed to prepare a place to live. As the boys took it as their responsibility to go and find fire wood, Fredrich and Kurt disappeared, the girls were left to find a place to build their camp.

"I don't think we'll be needed for a while," Georg spoke quietly, moving behind Maria and placing a subtle hand on her waist.

In response, Maria moved her hand to place it above his, and turned her head to smile at him. They did not kiss then, because the children were nearby and Maria still wanted to leave it a day or two before telling them, but the moment between them was still beautiful. Georg and Maria shared smiles, and Georg began to rub the back of her hand with his thumb.

After a few moments feeling as though they were drifting away from the rest of the world, their eyes blocking out the sounds of their loud and excited children, the couple turned their heads towards the children. But as their eyes fell upon the group of girls deciding that their house should be built beside one of the stone benches near the path, both of them saw Liesl's eyes on them.

Her striking blue eyes were wide in disbelief, but as they were met with those of her father and governess, she silently understood their new affection. She had noticed the change in their attitude towards one another ever since her father had sung _Edelweiss_ in the music room, when the two of them had been staring at each other, and now she realised. Their eyes were almost free of previous restraints, and they were standing so close that she knew her governess was comfortable with this new relationship – something definite must have happened. Maybe they were getting married? The dreamy looks in their eyes before they had looked over at the girls reminded her of her own reflection in the mirror after she had been to see Rolfe.

Her father and Fraulein Maria were in love.

Liesl's lips curved into a smile; a knowing smile that both Georg and Maria reciprocated.

Georg was the next to speak. "How long until the two blood-thirsty pirates will be needed?"

There was something about his tone that caused Maria to shiver. It was a playful tone, but there was also something there that promised they would be alone for some time.

Before Liesl could answer her father, Brigitta spoke up. "Oh, not long. We'll call you!" She had turned from her other sisters as soon as her father had spoken.

But Liesl was quick to intrude. "Oh no, maybe an hour at least," she smiled knowingly at her father and Fraulein Maria. "You could use the rowboat and make it a surprise! That would be much better."

Although Liesl had not put it so bluntly, the two adults realised that this was her way of saying that their relationship was definitely all right with her, and that they could spend some time together before coming to join the rest of the family. Maria and Liesl shared a smile, and the two adults accepted her suggestion and made their way to the rowboat.

Once Georg had assisted Maria into the boat and had picked up the oars to begin rowing away, Brigitta approached Liesl and tugged at her sleeve curiously. Liesl, whose head had been turned in the direction of her father and Fraulein Maria, looked back around at her younger sister. "Do you think father and Fraulein Maria are in love?"

Brigitta spoke quietly, aware that these conversations about their beloved father and governess were often strictly between these two sisters. These two often conspired with each other. It had been their suggestion that their father was on one team and Fraulein Maria on the other in their game of tag, and it had also been decided that their father should be the one to catch Fraulein Maria. It had worked; their playful and competitive attitudes had surpassed those of the rest of the children. There had also been the time one evening where the two of them had requested their father and Fraulein Maria sing together.

"I think so," Liesl responded dreamily, and in a whisper. The smile she then produced caused Brigitta to almost jump into the air and clap her hands in happiness. But she refrained, and instead just produced an equally ecstatic smile. _Maybe there would be no need for their plan anymore._

* * *

Georg was eager and keen to show Maria some more of the lake. As he rowed the boat skilfully, he could not draw his eyes away from Maria who was sitting opposite him. The sun was shining down on them today, and Georg watched how she would lift her head, giving him a better view of her neck, as she basked in the rays. When Maria unexpectedly brought her head back down, she caught him staring at her and blushed ferociously. Feeling her cheeks blushing, she attempted to cover her cheeks in embarrassment.

But Georg would have none of that.

Placing the oars inside the boat, fixing them securely but quickly, he reached over to Maria and brought her hands away from her cheeks. "O-ho, don't you dare."

"You like seeing my cheeks the colour of a tomato?"

"Not a tomato," he reprimanded her, and then proceeded to correct her. "More like a rose." To show that he did in fact love the colour of her cheeks like this, he leant forward and placed a tender kiss on both of them, lingering for only a moment. "Beautiful."

The feel of his lips against her skin caused Maria to forget their previous disagreement, and instead she leant forward further. His face was still close to hers, and in only a few moments Maria had initiated another kiss. Since their engagement a few nights ago, Georg had been overjoyed to find Maria taking encouraging steps in their levels of intimacy. She was no longer embarrassed or cautious about initiating kisses between them. He soon found himself anticipating the moment when they were married; when he could show her so much more that would alleviate their intimacy further.

But for now, Georg settled with the feel of her lips. After a few moments of hungry kisses, Georg moved his mouth away and trailed kisses along her jaw line, and then her neck. His light, fluttering kisses across the tender skin of her neck caused Maria to moan with pleasure. Georg had never heard such a sound coming from her mouth, and it sparked a deeper curiosity inside him. Deciding to explore this new territory further, he trailed his kisses back up and took her ear lobe in his mouth. He felt her hands rise to grip the fabric of his shirt, her groans becoming lower. "_Georg…_"

Upon hearing his name coming from her lips in that tone, he withdrew from her skin, moving back far enough to look her in the eye. Her striking, blue eyes were wide with pleasure, seemingly keen to explore these new feelings just as much as he did.

Suddenly, Maria spoke, and Georg would never have expected her to say what she did. "You are a pirate."

He could not help but laugh out loud. He threw his head back at her random comment, and when he looked back across at his fiancé he saw that she too was laughing a little, but more at his reaction than her original comment.

"Do you still want to marry me? Even though I'm a pirate and a rogue," Georg asked her dramatically, leaning backwards a little as if to provoke her into pulling him back.

Maria, still surprised with this new confidence she felt around him, leant forward, took his hand and pulled him back towards her. Their faces were close, their lips almost touching, but just before she kissed him, she whispered. "Always." And then she kissed him. It was the strongest, most passionate, kiss she had initiated, and Georg took this newfound strength as an opportunity to further their kisses. Gently he stroked her lips with his tongue, and was ecstatic as she opened his mouth for him. He explored her mouth slowly, so as not to scare her, enjoying her taste and also her response as she began to mirror his own actions.

He could hear her moans as he continued to deepen their kiss, and this prompted him to wrap his arms around her strongly, pulling her closer towards him in an act that silently told her that he had no intention of letting her go again. But soon their dependency for oxygen became too strong, and the two of them had no option but to pull away. As their mouths were no longer attached, their foreheads rested together, their heavy breathing filling the silence around them. The sounds of the children could faintly be heard from their position on the lake, but it was not loud enough to end their moment together.

"Wow," Maria breathed. She had never experienced anything like that, and she would have felt embarrassed at their actions had it not stirred the most pleasurable of feelings inside her. All she wanted to do was discover more of these feelings with her fiancé, but for now she would settle for his arms around her again, just like he had a few moments ago.

As her head dropped onto his chest, Georg took this as incentive to wrap his arms around her again, pulling her gently down on top of him in the boat. The act itself was innocent, and Maria felt completely at ease in his embrace. "How long until we need to be back?"

"Not for a while," Georg answered, looking up at the sky.

After a while of remaining in that position: Maria wrapped in his arms, him lying on his back in the boat and she on top of him, her face buried in his chest, Maria saw that the position was becoming a discomfort to her fiancé. Lying down in a boat like this would not be comfortable anyway, but with her added weight he must be in discomfort.

Carefully, she shifted off his chest and silently told him to move to the side a little. He obliged, curious as to why she was moving. "You're not heavy, darling."

"Mmm," Maria responded, happy with the new position beside her fiancé that allowed her to look up at the sky too. But, requiring just a little more contact than they currently had, Maria reached across and took his hand. "Liesl seemed happy, I'm glad."

"All of the children will be," responded Georg, silently telling her also that her worries these past few days were not necessary.

"Georg," she warned, able to read his words like a book. "A governess is not a mother, it will take all of us time to adjust."

Deciding not to take this much further, Georg decided to place some humour into the conversation. He nudged her gently with his shoulder, causing her to turn her head slightly. "Plus they'll have to cope with sharing you."

Maria laughed a little, leaning forward and pressing her lips softly to those of her fiancé. It was a quick kiss, and once it had ended Maria turned to look back up at the sky. "I'm sure we could find a moment alone. After all, we have just about managed these past few days."

"_Just_," Georg stressed, reminding her that it had sometimes been torture for him to be so close to her and not be able to kiss or touch her as he wished. It was strange, Maria thought, how much their relationship had changed in these past few days, yet she was feeling more and more comfortable as each day passed. Despite the huge change in her life, she had never felt more secure and confident.

They stayed like this for longer than they would have imagined, and it was Georg that eventually announced they should head back. He picked up one of the play swords that the children had given them, and wiggled his eyebrows at her mischievously. "Ready to go?"

Maria sat up. She also picked up the second sword, a playful smile across her face. Without realising, the two of them clinked their toy swords together. "My pirate," Maria murmured, leaning forward and kissing her fiancé one last time before they headed back.

They returned to the shore subtly, finding a place to tie up the boat and sneak up on the children without them realising. Creeping up on the children and their camp – they had fetched a bed sheet from inside and had draped that over one of the stone benches and also, presumably, some large sticks which held it up skilfully – they heard their mumbling from inside. They had just reached the path, however, when a loud voice sounded from above, stirring the attention of all the children.

It was Louisa.

The girl jumped down from the tree, clearly having been on watch for the two pirates. All seven of the children, at that moment, came flooding out from behind their camp, and some from other trees close beside them. All of them held make-shift swords like those of the two adults, and soon the fighting commenced.

Maria and Georg skilfully fended off the children for quite some time, but it soon became apparent that they were outnumbered. After Maria had suffered a leg injury from Gretl's sword fighting skills, and Georg had lost a hand from Marta's sword, the pair caught each other's gaze and, simultaneously, dashed into the trees. Their sudden movement had been a surprise for the children, who after a moment of consultation followed the two adults.

"Liesl, Marta, Kurt, you go and get Fraulein Maria, we'll get father!" Fredrich called excitedly, raising his sword in the air and motioning for them all to charge into the trees.

Meanwhile, Georg and Maria had given themselves enough time to escape, and now had settled themselves behind a rather large bush. Both slightly out of breath, they lowered themselves to the ground in an attempt to regain it.

The sounds of the children searching for them caused their voices to become quieter when they did speak. It had now, essentially, become a game of hide and seek, which would result in a sword fight as soon as they were found. "We won't be found," whispered Maria as she edged closer to Georg. "I always find the best hiding pla–"

His hand covered her mouth as one of the children passed them by, oblivious to where their father and governess were hiding.

"We have to find them soon! They'll be planning our deaths as we speak," spoke Brigitta dramatically, a comment which caused the two adults to laugh silently.

"Marta, Gretl, go and check the gazebo! They always go there!"

That was Louisa's voice, and Maria and Georg could barely keep themselves from looking at each other and smiling at that comment. It had been the place where they had first professed their love; where they had shared their first kiss. It was indeed a special place for them both.

"But what if they are there? We don't want to go on our own, they might kill us!"

Gretl's indignant voice sounded, and Maria was now pressing her hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing. These children were all utterly adorable, smart, charismatic, and the thought of never having to leave them again filled her heart with joy.

"Fine! Kurt, you go with them!" Fredrich shouted. "The rest of us will keep checking around here."

After a while, the sounds of the children were becoming distant again. Maria took this opportunity to take her hand away from her mouth. "So, what's the plan?" she asked him mischievously.

Little did they know, but the children had all gathered in this area. They had feigned their leaving and had all hidden behind various bushes and trees, waiting to hear or see their next movements. Fredrich motioned from behind his tree for the rest of his siblings to be silent. They all listened.

"You go to the gazebo, surprise them all," Georg spoke in a loud whisper, oblivious to the position of all his children. "I'll fight off as many as I can here until you return."

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Maria saluted him, as she had done on her first day. That memory came back to them both, and neither could stop the small series of laughter that followed.

After a few moments, they both realised that their position could be compromised if they continued to laugh. They both descended into a silence.

"Right, are we ready?" Maria asked, her sword at the ready.

Upon hearing this, Fredrich summoned for the rest of his siblings to close in on them both. They all approached the large bush slowly.

"Do I not get a good luck kiss? After all, I may never see you again," Georg proposed dramatically. His eyes widened, almost in a pleading manner, and Maria could not resist him.

Her lips descended onto his, causing them both to drop their swords and wrap their arms around the other. It was only supposed to be a small kiss, brief before they went to fight against their own children, but suddenly the passion took over and Maria had no intention of ending the kiss. Neither did Georg; his lips were moving against hers just as passionately, his hands on her shoulders and rising to take hold of some of her hair.

"A-ha! We've got–" Louisa exclaimed, pulling away some of the bushes to uncover the two adults.

But what was uncovered surprised them all. Well, all except Liesl, and to some extent, Brigitta. The two girls just stood at the back of the group, knowing smiles across their faces.

Georg and Maria jumped apart after having been found.

Maria began to blush fiercely, and Georg swallowed nervously at being caught by his own children. He also felt embarrassed, but managed to control the colour of his cheeks.

An awkward silence fell across the group of people, most of the children gawping at their father and governess, and Maria and Georg looking sheepishly to the ground. It was Marta, surprisingly, who broke the silence. None of the children, or the adults, would have expected it to be Marta. But since Maria had arrived at the villa, and since Georg had reconciled with his children, Marta had grown wonderfully and would speak a lot more often than she used to.

"Does this mean you two _are _in love?"

Georg and Maria were surprised at the question, but both looked up and over to their daughter. The smiles that grew on their faces left no doubt in any of the children's minds.

"Does this mean you're getting married?" Gretl now asked, who was stood with her arms crossed. She was a stubborn child, both Georg and Maria thought simultaneously.

"Well," began Maria shyly. "With all of your permiss–"

It was decided that Maria would not finish her sentence. In a moment, all of the children had rushed to their new parents, some of the smaller children jumping into their arms, the force knocking all of them to the ground. Even the older children threw themselves onto the ground beside the rest of their family, joining in with all of the laughter that was surrounding them.

During this new bout of laughter that seemed to preserve the scene around them, Georg turned his head sideways and managed to catch Maria's glance just for a moment. He winked at her, a knowing wink, almost boasting and telling her that he had been right all along.

_The __End_

* * *

**A/N: **Thank you so much to everyone who has shown an interest to this story. It was only meant to be a short, loving and not very serious story that explored the relationship between Georg and Maria and also the deceptive nature of the children. Oh, and if you imagine the wink at the end, it was sort of meant to be like the one in the film when they both get back from honeymoon (a scene I have re-winded and replayed over and over again). I hope you all enjoyed reading this, thank you again.


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